Midnight In Your Eyes
by xSillyxHummingxBunnyx
Summary: Van is torn between the love he lost years ago(Solstice) and the love he has now (Hitomi). He must protect Solstice with the help of Hitomi, but he loves both! Who will he choose, and will it interfer with his mission?
1. Ending the Beginning

A milky moon hung low in the sky. Van gazed gently upon it with his deep brown eyes. "Oh, Hitomi." his eyes wandered longingly towards the Mystic Moon. "Earth. What Hitomi used to call it." He sighed. "What are you doing right now? Do you think of me, as much as I think of you?" He yearned for her. The pain he felt with her gone made him physically ache for her. "Why." he asked, tears filling his eyes, black hair swaying with the wind. "Why did I ever let you go?"  
  
Merle passed by the balcony the Van stood on. 'Yet another sleepless night for Lord Van." she thought to herself. The wind ruffled his hair and the moonlight illuminated his lonely face. 'Oh Lord Van.' Merle had long ago given up trying to cheer him up. After two years, they had all changed drastically. They were all older, stronger, but one thing still remained the same as always. Van's pain. Van's loneliness. When his father died, then his mother's disappearance. Solstice leaving, and then Folken working for Dornkirk. Now, the fact that he may never see Hitomi again. The second love lost, along with many other tragedies. 'Poor Lord Van.' She began to walk away, but then stopped to look at him once more. 'I miss you.' Merle then sulked into the darkness.  
  
Hearing footsteps, Van slowly turned around only to see the same familiar tail bouncing away. 'I'm sorry Merle.' A tear fell, he had caused her so much pain the last two years. She had still stuck by him through it all though. She had grown to be such a beautiful cat women. Long curly pink hair, a slender frame. She would never be happy though, not with him like this. He had said she could leave so many times before. All she did was look him in the eyes each time and stubbornly say, "No, Lord Van. I am not giving up on you that easily. I'm your sister." Merle and that stubborn look she always got, he smiled. But a second later he was once again filled with his sorrow. His regret. He was once again sucked back into his world of darkness. So he turned his eyes to the moon. La Luna.  
  
Suddenly, Van caught a glimpse of something quite strange. A massive silver- yellow cloud rose up from the surface of the moon. It was large enough to see from where he was sulking on the balcony! Gripping the railing, he gasped "What?!" His eyes surveyed the scene questioning. He couldn't tear them away.  
  
Then before his eyes, he saw streaks of red, yellow, and orange rise up from the enormous cloud. He backed away from the railing. "They're. They're headed for Gaea!" He didn't understand. Van needed to find out what had just occurred.  
  
Van whirled around and made a break for the door. Just as he turned the corner. BOOM!!!  
  
"Ouch!" Merle squealed. "Merle! I'm sorry!" Van helped her up, flicking a bit of hair out of his eyes. "Van!!!" She replied breathing hard. "What is it?" he gazed compassionately. "It's.. There." she breathed. "there was a message. From the Elders of Gaea. They need to see you. Now!"  
  
"Bring us the Princesses!!" Everything was torn apart. Chaos was the only know thing at this moment in time on the moon. Giant metal monsters stormed the streets of Steal. No one could run. No one could hide. Everyone was left in the rubble that once was the prized city of Steal.  
  
"Bring us the Princesses!" The guymelefs screamed. When no answered their wishes, they burned the citizens' homes, smashed buildings, and stepped in innocent people with a "Squish." under their metallic feet.  
  
The scene inside the palace was much like the scene outside it. Servants running. Solstice's little sisters crying. She couldn't understand what was playing out before her eyes. She stood at the window and watched in wonderment at the destruction. How could someone destroy something that took 100 years to make? Solstice had no idea what would happen next. She feared for the lives of her family. But mostly for the lives of her people. She knew they were the heart and soul of Steal.  
  
Suddenly her father, King Orion Stoy, grabbed her arm. "Come Solstice. You and the others must leave at once!" She started at her father. He had aged so very much in the last 30 minutes. He had bags under his eyes, his wrinkles were accented and his gray hair had grown limp. But most of all, she could see the midnight in his eyes. The fear of what could, and had happened.  
  
"Father? What is happening? Why do they want us? Give them me if it will stop the pain Steal is going through.." He drew her close and kissed her milky pale forehead as the palace shook from the force of the attack. "My dear sweet Solstice. No we cannot do that. Come I have planned for this already."  
  
"But father. why?"  
  
"Because this family is different. You are different. Special. In more ways then one. Come, my little angel. Come, you must go to Gaea."  
  
She took her father by he hand. "Gaea." she whispered. Memories flooded her vision. Van. Fanelia. Merle. Folken. She had not been to Gaea in seven years. Since she was ten. 'Van.' she though softly. "But why father! What is happening?" King Orion did not answer.  
  
They walked through the halls; they passed windows and bright blasts of red exploded from them. Tremendous "Booms" erupted at them scaring Solstice so terribly. She fell against the walls, covering her ears, pearly tears streaming down her face. Their once beautiful home was falling apart. Was slipping from her fingertips. To think she would have been queen soon. Now that was no longer.  
  
King Orion led her through a passage way behind a portrait of her grandfather, Sosoman. It was so dank, and black. Only torches lit the way and Solstice tripped many times. She could hear the "drip drip" of water in the background. The scurry of rats at her feet. "Father." she whispered. "Shhhh." was all he would reply.  
  
"Bring us the princesses!" was now just a faint sound in the background. As they ventured farther, Solstice saw all her family was in the passage way as well. All eight of her siblings, and her mother were in a long, large cavern that was lit with torches. She still hadn't figured out what had happened. 'How will we all get to Gaea?' she wondered. Suddenly, she saw eleven individual ships in the background. "What?" she whispered. The ships glimmered silver in various sizes, each with a marking of Steal. "Quick my dear." Her mother reached for her. "Get in." Queen Aurora forcefully pushed her daughter into the vessel. "But mother! Where is Nova?" Her eldest sister simply replied from the background. "Don't you worry about me, Solstice. I'll be fine."  
  
Queen Aurora began to close the door of her ship. "Mother." tears filled her eyes. 'Will this be the last time I see her?' Solstice reached out to touch her beautiful mother. Her raven black hair, and pale, rosy cheeks. White green eyes, filled with midnight. "Mother! What is happening!?" she screamed. But all her mother could manage was "I love you Solstice."  
  
With that the door was closed and Solstice was in the dark lonely sky, her home to the back of her and Gaea in front. She thrashed about the ship cutting her hands. Silver blood oozed out. She was so different from everyone else. Even in her own family. 'What had happened!' Tears streamed down her milky face, she had lost all her strength and will. All she heard behind her, was an explosion.  
  
"Hitomi. Earth to Hitomi.." Osaka waved his hand in her face. She shook her head, long waves of brown flowed down the length of her face. "Sorry." She replied. She had zoned out to a better time where she had Van near her. But that wasn't present day a time. Nope. She was at lunch, eating cafeteria food. Well not eating. Playing with.  
  
"It's ok." Osaka smiled. "All you have to do is go out with me tonight." She looked at him gravely. Her green eyes narrowed. "You have to stop that. You know the answer already." With that Osaka lifted his hands up as a surrender. "Fine, ok. I'll stop. But what were you thinking about before I brought you back?"  
  
'Van, Fanelia, Merle, Folken, Gaea, Van.' she though. But she replied "Nothing."  
  
With that, she left and walked out to the courtyard. 'Seventeen and nothing to show for it.' She though. Looking up at the sky. 'I wish I could see Van.' As the wind ruffled her school uniform around her slender body, and her hair flew in the breeze, she had no idea how soon her wish would come true.  
  
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Author's note: Hey guys this is my first fic so please be honest. You can flame all you want I WON'T CARE! If you don't like it then don't read it. Vote for your couple:  
  
Solstice/Van or Hitomi/Van?  
  
Please tell me! 


	2. On the Way

Van quickly ran to his room, brown eyes wide with wonder. 'Does this have anything to do with that I just saw?' he pondered. Changing into decent clothing faster than he had ever changed before, he sprinted full force out of the castle, and around the many flower-filled gardens. The scents of roses and lilies drifted through his nose, but this was not a time to "stop and smell the roses."  
  
Merle, the curious kitten she was, ran on all fours at his heels. Did Van think she wasn't going to go with him? 'Boy, is he ever wrong! This is the most excited I have ever seen him!' she though, smile inwardly at herself. 'At least he's not sulking!' Merle's, long, fluffy tail whipped in the wind as she followed Van into the open clearing where he kept his large and powerful guymelef, Escaflowne, hidden. The tall silvery, gold statue glimmered down at them, out of breath for a moment they stood panting.  
  
"You did remember to put a new energist in… right?" asked Merle, a hint of concern in her teenage voice. Realizing for the first time in the entire sprint that Merle was next to him Van stared wide-eyed at her. "Yes, I did… And why are you here?" he asked, a bit nastily for Merle's taste. After all, she was the one who had gone and told him the message, but then again Folken was asleep so she was the only one who could. "I'm…" she stood up on her hind legs and held her head high, crossing her arms. "I am going with you whether you like it or not and there's nothing you can do or say." With that she stuck out her tongue.   
  
"Ok." he replied and began climbing Escaflowne. "No! Don't try and stop me…" she trailed, she was positive she was going to have to fight for him to let her come along with him. "Huh… What?" she questioned from the shock, blinking in disbelief. "I can go? I CAN GO!!" Merle cheered jumping in the air. By this time though, Escaflowne was no longer in its elevated robot form, but a large golden dragon with wings that when spread were longer than a block and a half. The shimmering red "heart" carrying the energist was still visible, the sword still at it back. "Are you coming Merle?" Van snapped. "I'm in a hurry!" Merle jumped on all fours and made her was to the seating compartment, right behind the head of Escaflowne. She curled up in a little ball, and with that, they were off in the still early evening sky.  
  
Van's almond eyes scoured the scenery around, the wind playing with his untidy black, red shirt fluttering fiercely in the wind. 'What could they possible need me for?' he wondered listening to Merle's soft snores.  
  
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Solstice began to stir after a very unpleasant nap. Her pale white-green eyes still fuzzy, she began to recall a horrendous dream she had awoke from. Steal had been attacked. Her father had dragged her into a passage way leading into an underground tavern. She had been pressed in to a rocket and was off into space, headed towards Gaea, when a tremendous explosion erupted behind her. She shook her head. 'What a horrid dream.' she thought. Suddenly she looked around her. She was not in her nice cozy bed. Her satin, scarlet sheets covering her. "NO!" she shrieked. Gaea was in view just a head and it grew ever larger and brighter, ever few seconds. The stars glimmered out her window, it was still night on Gaea, for it was dark on the half she happened to be approaching. Solstice was so close to Gaea in fact, that she could she the twinkle of lights out of the darkness.   
  
Remembering her fit of anger, Solstice glanced down at her hands that were bleeding silver before she had fallen asleep. 'All healed.' she sighed. 'I though as much. Not a trace anything had happened.' It took a lot to leave a wound or a scar on Solstice. She knew that was why her father had chosen her to be queen and why he had decided to train her. "Nothing to do now, but wait." she whispered motionless. Coming to terms with her fate, a tear slid down her milky pale cheek. 'What's happened to Steal? To mother and father? Nova? Everyone else? Am I the only survivor? What about Zackurus?' she whimpered silently in the cabin of the tiny rocket ship. "I am, once again, all alone." she sobbed.  
  
A few minutes passed and, while Solstice gawked dully, almost as if she were dead, out the window at the stars, she realized she was descending into Gaea. To her utmost fear, fire engulfed the outside of ship and she could not see anything that occurred out of the rocket from then on. Frantically, she searched for a seatbelt, or any type of restraint and luckily found one seconds before crashing into (not to mention bouncing on) the ground of Gaea.   
  
Pale eyes wide with fear and her heart beating with such force she was sure that it would pop out her chest and still beat for at least a minute before stopping completely, Solstice sat in the rocket for a moment before coming back to her original sanity. Her long, multi-colored hair was a mess, flying every which way on her face, and she had to grab bits and pieces of sky blue and raven black out of her eyes (no one in her family really knew why Solstice grew two colors of hair on her pale head. One was the sky blue of her father's, the other the raven of her mother's, it was quite a mystery to Solstice as well, and to her discontent just added on to the many strange and unknown things about herself).  
  
Shaking herself awake, she glanced out of the rocket, but could not see anything through the black streaks caused by the fire. Solstice bravely decided to venture out of the ship once she had found the opening latch. 'What's to be scared of?' she asked herself. 'I've been on Gaea before, and if daddy really did think the whole thing through, there has to be a sword SOMEWHERE in this ship.' So, placing her hand gently upon the latch she pull up (as the directions told) and with a hissy "whoosh" the door was open and sunlight shined into Solstice's eyes. 'It's daylight? I've been traveling all night?'   
  
Stepping out of the now blackened ship, she gazed wide-eyed at the color. 'Oh,' she remembered happily. 'Gaea always had such wonderful colors.' Solstice was only distracted momentarily by the emerald greens, bright happy pinks, purples and blues. 'Ok, time to focus. I need to find Van. He's bound to know what's happened and I know he can help! Not to mention it would be great to see him again…' But she stopped herself, her father had taught her well and she thought like a queen, not to mention a warrior. 'Before that though, I most go and find a cape. A hooded one. If someone is out to get me, I must hide myself. There was a reason father was trying to protect me, and I'll make sure to find out." Carefully feeling around the ship for a compartment that might just have held what she was looking for, Solstice circled the ship. 'Come on… Come on daddy… I know you had to have…  
  
POP!!!  
  
A door bounced open, revealing a beautifully crafted sword in the finest steel Solstice had ever seen. The handle was embedded with rubies. 'Oh daddy,' she smiled, a tear running down her face. 'Red always was my favorite color.' Engraved on the handle as well, were two curvy, curly "S"s. Of course, her father knew, what was a sword without a carrying sash, so also with the sword was a white leather carrier sash in the strongest leather she had ever gripped. Taking everything gently, she noticed one final item inside, a letter addressed to her.  
  
"To my little angel,  
  
If you have entered this ship, then you already know that Steal has been attacked to the point that we can not save it. I readied myself for this day, so our family could live on else where. I chose Gaea as you very well know by now. I hope these items will be helpful. You were always my pride and joy. Use them well and be careful. Conceal yourself, what ever attacked Steal may still be out there and looking for you. Look for other members of the family, but find Van as quickly as you can. His family was always kind to us and I am sure he will help you. You were both such good friends. I love you so much my little angel, make sure to learn to fly.  
  
King Orion Stoy"  
  
Tears filled her eyes, but Solstice only stood taller and attached the sash around her small waist, over her light blue dress. 'Right then.' And she walked off in search of a town to buy a hooded cape…  
  
  
  
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Hitomi laid in bed lazily. 'Nothing ever happens!' she cried to herself. Rolling over, she gazed down under her bed, her brown hair tumbled down. 'It's getting so long!' she remarked. 'LOOK! It actually folds on the floor!' After staring questionably at her hair, she reached out her bed and pulled out an old, tattered, dully pink shoe box. Hitomi pulled it on the bed, and with the promise of tears streaming out of her glossy dark green eyes, she opened the box. Inside was a collection of many precious items Hitomi just couldn't find herself throwing out. Her first tarot cards, her first teddy bear, items like that, but as she reached in, she did not grab any of the childhood memories. She picked out a single white feather, that sent out a quiet illumination of light. Something happened though, when she touched it. Images flashed before her eyes…  
  
" 'Van?' Hitomi ran to him, What is he doing in my bedroom? *asked as Hitomi watched*. He gave a loving hug, looked her in the eye. 'I need your help.' he whispered and kissed her gently. Then with a bright beam of light, they were both gone…."  
  
*Fast Forward*  
  
"Gaea? *pondered the watching Hitomi* Standing on a grass patch of grass, Hitomi watched Van run to a hooded person with a sword. Her green eyes swelled with tears of fear for the hooded person was being attacked by thieves. 'VAN! Be careful!' she cried and upon hearing the name 'Van' yelled, Hitomi saw the hooded stranger turned to first look at her in the vision and then Van. With this momentary distraction though, the stranger was knocked down by one of the large thieves."  
  
*Fast Forward*  
  
" 'Solstice…' Van smiled and hugged someone Hitomi could not see. 'How long has it been?'"  
  
Hitomi fell backwards on her bed, her green eyes wide with wonder, her school uniform askew from her fall. 'What does this all mean? Could Van be coming to get me? That's the only reasonable answer for me being in Gaea again… Could he?' Her heart begged for Van to come and get her, she couldn't go to Gaea herself, she didn't have her Grandmother's necklace. 'Who is this.. Solstice… person?' Hitomi didn't understand. What was going to happen…   
  
She jumped out of bed and quickly ran to her back pack. Rummaging through it for a second she finally found her tarot cards. 'Ok, I don't really feel like doing a whole reading, I'll pull one card out and see what it says…' Shuffling the deck to her liking, Hitomi took her feminine right hand and picked up a card from the stack. Flipping it over to reveal…  
  
'The Hermit…' Hitomi's eyes gazed in disbelief. An old man in a hood, walking with a cane stared back at her. 'Be prepared. Change. Wandering.' Gasping, she realized Van WAS coming to get her soon!. 'Oh!!!' her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Getting up so quickly her skirt flew up as she galloped on all fours for a second, Hitomi ran to her dresser and began grabbing clothes from the closet. She stuffed them into a giant duffle bag, a tremendous smile pasted on her lips. 'Shoes… Pants… Skirts… Shirts… Underwear…' She smiled proud of herself. 'I'm ready this time!' Twirling around in her room, her light blue school skirt waved out and she land on her bed with a happy "thump".   
  
'Oh, Van! I'm going to see you! I'm going to get to hold you and kiss you again!' She grabbed a strand of brown her and played with it, her eyes still staring blissfully at the ceil. For once she was happy. 'And I promise, no matter what you need help with, I'll be there to help!' With that, she closed her eyes, her shapely legs hanging off the bed, and fell sleep.  
  
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"So…" hissed a sinister voice draped in shadow. "What has happened?"  
  
A quivering soldier, bowed a replied. "We have attacked Steal as you have requested…"  
  
"Good. Very good. And?"  
  
The solider glanced around him, his red hair untidy, his blue eyes displayed the terror inside him even though he tried bravely to answer. "Some have escaped… Sir…" And with that he bowed again.  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
The solider swallowed with a loud "gulp", looking down he replied. "Some have escaped…"  
  
"You do know we need to kill BOTH, now don't you? With one that's suppose to be dead still running around, how are we to stop what is to come? The downfall of everything I have worked for two long years to create? If both are not destroyed then the prophecy will come true! We cannot have that can we?" The voice hissed. Leaning over in the shadow, pearly white teeth shining through the darkness, he smiled. "You have done an unsatisfactory job, captain. You know how I feel when I am let down." Suddenly, all the soldiers in the room backed away quickly. The red-headed captain clawed at his neck. Eyes pooping out of his head. He couldn't breath, his face purple. "Let this be an example for all of you. I expect excellence!" All that was left in the room, was the gurgle of a struggling red head, and the evil laugh of a man draped in shadow.  
  
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A/N: Hey everyone! Ok yeah I know, I suck at writing. But humor me ok? I haven't written in forever so I'm just getting into the swing of things, not to mention this is the first Fic I've ever written on here so yeah. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, I know it was long! Sorry! Leave a note if you like it, leave one if you don't. Just tell me what you the reader think… (WOW that sounded corny!!!) hehe anywho! Talk to you all later, the next chapter will be out soon! 


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